Wu Mei
StarPrunus mume (Sieb.) Sieb. et Zucc.
☯ TCM Properties
Astringes the Lungs and Stops Cough; Astringes the Intestines and Stops Diarrhea; Generates Fluids and Relieves Thirst; Calms Roundworms and Stops Pain; Stops Bleeding
Traditional Chinese Uses
Wu Mei (mume plum, black plum fruit) is an intensely sour, warm, astringent herb with multiple actions in Chinese medicine. It is the primary herb for quieting roundworms and settling the abdominal cramping of biliary ascariasis. It also astringes fluids to stop chronic diarrhea, relieve thirst, and consolidate Lung Qi in chronic cough. Its Blood-cooling and astringent properties extend to stopping certain types of bleeding, and it is used topically for corns and warts.
Western Herbalism Properties
Botanical Description
Prunus mume (Siebold) Siebold and Zucc. (Rosaceae), commonly called Chinese plum or Japanese apricot, is a small deciduous tree native to southern China and now widely cultivated in East Asia, reaching 4 to 10 meters tall with a rounded crown, gray-green smooth young bark, and slender, often green twigs. The leaves are alternate, ovate to elliptic with a tapering tip, 4 to 10 cm long, with finely serrate margins, appearing after the flowers. The fragrant flowers are borne singly or in pairs on bare wood in late winter to early spring, 2 to 2.5 cm across, with five rounded petals in white, pink or red and many stamens, the calyx tube reddish. The fruit is a globose drupe 2 to 3 cm in diameter, yellow to greenish-yellow with a slight reddish blush, downy, with a sour, fragrant flesh and a single furrowed stone. Nearly ripe fruits picked in early summer are smoked over straw or roasted until black and wrinkled to produce Wu Mei.
Active Constituents
Citric acid
Organic acidConcentration: Predominant organic acid; total organic acids can exceed 40 g/L in processed fruit/juice
The principal sour-tasting constituent responsible for the fruit's astringent, thirst-quenching and antimicrobial actions. Citric acid contributes to salivation and fluid generation, and reacts during smoke-processing to form mumefural.
Malic acid
Organic acidConcentration: Second most abundant organic acid
Contributes to the marked acidity of the fruit, supporting the traditional actions of generating fluids and relieving thirst, and adds to antimicrobial activity.
Succinic acid
Organic acidConcentration: Minor organic acid
Identified alongside citric acid as a key metabolite governing fruit acidity; part of the organic-acid pool underlying the fruit's sour, astringent character.
Mumefural
Furanaldehyde derivativeConcentration: Forms during heat/smoke processing of green plum
A signature processing-derived compound generated by reaction of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural with citric acid. Reported to improve blood fluidity and to activate FAK/PI3K/AKT signalling promoting intestinal epithelial repair.
5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF)
FuranaldehydeConcentration: Increases with processing/heating
Formed from sugars during processing; a precursor of mumefural and a contributor to reported antioxidant activity of the processed fruit.
Oleanolic acid and ursolic acid
Pentacyclic triterpenoidConcentration: Minor lipophilic constituents
Triterpene acids associated with hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities documented for the fruit.
Chlorogenic acid and related hydroxycinnamoylquinic acids
Phenolic acidConcentration: Present among fruit phenolics
Polyphenolic antioxidants contributing to free-radical scavenging and the anti-inflammatory profile of the fruit extract.
Amygdalin
Cyanogenic glycosideConcentration: Concentrated in the kernel/seed within the pit
A cyanogenic glycoside found in the kernel. The pit is removed for most therapeutic uses because amygdalin can release hydrogen cyanide; the fleshy pericarp is the medicinal part.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 6-15g | Daily | — | — | — |
Preparation Methods
Water decoction (raw/unprocessed fruit)
Parts: Fruit (pericarp, pit removed)
Typically 6-12 g decocted. Preferred raw or as plum flesh for generating fluids, relieving thirst and astringing the Lungs to stop chronic cough. Remove the pit before use, as the kernel contains amygdalin.
Vinegar-processed (cu zhi)
Parts: Fruit (pit removed)
Fruit soaked/processed with vinegar to enhance the sour, astringent action. Selected when the aim is to calm roundworms and soften the Liver; classically the basis of Wu Mei Wan for roundworm-related abdominal pain, vomiting and cold limbs. Higher acute doses (15-30 g) may be used for severe roundworm or protracted diarrhea.
Charred fruit (Wu Mei tan / mume charcoal)
Parts: Fruit
Fruit charred to strengthen astringency for chronic diarrhea and dysentery, uterine or intestinal bleeding, and bloody stool. Usual range 6-12 g in decoction.
Clinical Studies
Efficacy of a Standardized Extract of Prunus mume in Liver Protection and Redox Homeostasis: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study
A standardized Prunus mume fruit extract was evaluated for hepatoprotective and redox effects in healthy subjects. Supplementation was associated with improvements in markers of liver function and redox homeostasis versus placebo, supporting the traditional liver-protective and fluid-generating reputation of the fruit.
Historical Texts
Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (Divine Husbandman's Classic of Materia Medica)
Han dynasty (c. 200 BCE-200 CE)Shang Han Lun (Treatise on Cold Damage), by Zhang Zhongjing
Eastern Han dynasty (c. 200 CE)References
- Sharma K, Zhang Y, Paudel KR, et al.. Comprehensive Review of Phytochemical Constituents, Pharmacological Properties, and Clinical Applications of Prunus mume . Frontiers in Pharmacology (2021) [DOI]
- Ying X, et al.. Therapeutic Potential and Bioactive Compounds of Prunus mume: A Comprehensive Review of Pharmacological Benefits and Future Directions . Journal of Food Biochemistry (2025) [DOI]
- Chinese Pharmacopoeia Commission. Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China (Wu Mei / Mume Fructus monograph) . China Medical Science Press (2020) [DOI]
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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